Mail collecting and delivering device.



W. M. CORTHELL.

MAIL COLLECTING AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.28.1909.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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MAIL COLLECTING AND DELIVERING DEVICE APPLICATION IILBD NOV. 28.1908.

929,659. Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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W. M. UORTHELL.

MAIL COLLECTING AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.28.1908.

929,659." Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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mm a nnnuum bunvnJMu-uuruu unluvurlvnu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. OORTHELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAIL. COLLECTING AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concemr Be it known that I, IVILLIAM M. COR- TI-IELL, a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Collecting and Delivering Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to means for delivering mail or packages from moving cars or carriages, and for taking onto such cars mail or other packages, and the main object of the invention is to provide efficient, economical and reliable devices for the purpose named.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out.

I11 the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention and forms a part of the specification ;-F igure 1 is a partial side view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on line2, 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view indicating relative situations of different parts; Fig. 4: is a side view of a receptacle designed to receive bags or the like thrown from a car; Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing operation of the mail deliverer and catcher.

Numeral 1 indicates a car having a side doorway 2.

3 denotes a mail or package deliverer comprising, preferably, a rectangular gate-like body, including several cross rods, said body being pivotally mounted on the car near the side of the doorway toward the rear end of the car by means of the vertical rotary shaft e supported in bearings 5.. The collar 6 rigid with the shaft supports the latter. Said shaft extends a short distance below the bot-tom of the car,and terminates in an end 7 bent inward at right angles. This end serves as a pivot bearing for an operating arm 8 suitably secured thereon, and in its normal situation standing about under the edge of the car, and elevated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, being held up by a wire rope, chain, or the like, 9, which is secured within the car to a strong spring 10 secured to the inside of the car wall at proper height. The free end of the spring is extended and serves as a handle which can be depressed by an attendant when desired Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 28, 1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Serial No. 464,963.

to move the arm to full line position. Near the bottom of the shaft l is formed an integral lug 11 which is adapted to cooperate with a similar lug 12 on the bearing sleeve of arm 8 in such manner as to arrest the descent of the arm when it reaches its full line position.

13 is an arm rigid with shaft l and extending parallel with the edge of the car. To this arm is secured a spring ll the rear end. of which is secured to the car bottom. The tension of this spring is sufficient to normally hold the body 3 in place in front of the doorway, but will yield sufficiently to allow the body to be swung back against the side of the car away from the doorway when desired. Numeral 15 denotes a stronger spring secured to said arm 13 near its free end, preferably by a connection which permits ready detachment, for example, by means of a ring 16 resting between lugs 01' pins, as shown. The opposite end of this spring is also connected" to the car bottom. Spring 15 normally has little or no tension, but receives tension from the outward swing of body 3. Springs 1% and 15 cooperate in returning said body after it has been swung outwardly to the position indicated in Figs. 3 and In case of failure of either spring the other would be suflicient to return the body and prevent failure of operation. Obviously the number and arrangement of the springs can be varied without departing from the invention.

17 is a buffer preferably in the form of a dash pot, to receive the blow of the body on its return movement.

Supported in the doorway by a pivoted rod 18, is a pin 19 extending upward and adapted. to rest against the top of body 3, and is a support for the bag to be delivered from the car, the bag being pulled therefrom by its outward swin 20 denotes a vertical roller on the free end of arm 8, and in its lowered position is adapted to ride along the side of a cam rail 21 remote from the near track rail 22 adjacent to which it is supported.

Beside the track at points where mail is to be delivered and collected, or either, are arranged supplemental rails or bars, 21, hereinafter referred to as cam rails, which are preferably supported about nine inches above the track rails. The near end of the cam rail is near enough to the trackrail to extend under the edge of a passing car and inside roller 20 in'such manner that said roller will surely pass-outside of the cam-rai-l,-

. and regularly away from the track, as indicated in Fig. 3, for a considerable"distance, preferably 11 or 12 feet, with the arm 8 and other partsproportioned substantially as in: dicated in the drawing. At said point the cam rail is bent into a plane parallel with the track rail for about twofeet at 23. The cam rail is shown supported by brackets on elongated ties. One advantage of havingthe operating roller act on the side of the cam rail remote from the track rails is that that side is much less liable to be covered with snow thrown from the track.

Numeral 24 in Figs. 3 and 4 denotes a receptacle for'receiving mail thrown from the car. It is' placed at an angle to the track in advance of the crane for supporting mail to be taken on to the car. The receptacle is made of plank, the top having a downward inclination away from the track, and the sides beingpartly or wholly closed.

At the small end is a strong post 24 and an opening for-removal of the delivered package or bag.

25 denotes a post at top of which is a pivoted crane-arm adaptedto support a bag, gliverer for mail or the like, a cam railga 26, or the like, beside the track at the same elevation as body 3 on the car, and at such disiianc'e from the car that it will be brought behind the body 3 by the advance of the car when the body 3' is out in position indicated in Figs. 3 and 5. 27 denotes a bag beingdeli'verer for mail or the like, a cam rail, a] 5 connecting device between the deliverer and said cam rail to move the deliverer, means .for' retu'rh-in'g'the deliverer to normal posilivered, its path of movement being indicated by, anarrow.- Insaid Fig. 3 roller 20 is about to leave the camrail when body 3 will be drawn back to the car by its springs, carrying the bag 26 into the doorway.

Operation; Before reaching a cam rail an attendant on the car places the bag or bags to be delivered on pin 19, the bag hanging against the outer side of body 3. He then depresses spring arm IO'carrying roller 20' into the horizontal plane of the cam rail, and holds it thereuntil it travels along said rail, the effect being to swing ar'm '8 and body 3 out from the side of the car at an angle of about 45' degrees,as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5, theti1 rning movement, owing to the lengthana arrangement of the cam" rail, being prolonged to-reduc'e' the strain on operating parts below the danger line. Said swing of body 3 pushesjbag27 indicated in Fig. 1,"and.by

a circle in Fig.3, awayfrom the car, drawing itfrom pin 19' and leaving; it free for delivery. Fig. 13 shows the roller 2O about to v 5;handl-i'ng body pivoted on the car, a bodyleave the rail, and bag 27 starting'in the disiti'on by springs l f, 15, or' otherwise". a bag- 26 had-been hung; on crane 25,-

j as indicatedin Fig. 5. 1 stormy he may lower roller 20before reaching the cam rail, and if there is a bag itwill' be caught, otherwise the apparatus will be operated idly. I

operating means, for raisin and lowering said from or into operative position.

the bag will depend on the proportions of the arm, body, etc, but being once determined remains substantially the saine whatever the speedbf the .car. The bag will enter the open end of the receptacle and will ,be safely brought to rest therein; by

the inclined top, as above explained. As soon as roller 20 leaves the rail it, together with body 3, is carried backto normal pothede'scribedf return movement of body 3 pushes it from its support as it may be, the bag will be held there until v the door is'opened, otherwise it will drop to:

the floor. In case no bag is to be deliveredfrom the car, the attendant watches to see if there is a bag on the crane to be collected,

on the crane,-

carrying it toward the car; The bag will move in such manner as to' bank against the rear door janib, andif the car door is closed,

either by looking forward directly,,orpreferably by looking into a mirror 28 supported on the rear door jamb and facing forward, Or if it is dark or Having thus described the invention what 1 The combinatlon of a car, a pivoted decon'i'iecting device between the deliverer V and said cam rail to pivotally move'thedeliverer,

ia'nd automatic means for returning the deillver'er to normal position. r

2. The combination of a car, amovable de* 'tion, and means to support a bag or package gto b'etaken onto the car in position to be carried into the car doorway by such return 1. movement.

3. The combination with a ear having a f doorway, of a mail-handling body hinged to j the car and adapted to stand across the door- 1 way, a cam rail at an angle to the car track, I a body-swinging lever operated by said rail, I i and means supporting mail in position to'be moved by said body;

ll. The'combination with a car, of a mail 5; The comblnation' with a' car, of a mail-' pivoted arm, a cam rail, and

b arm 6. The combination'with a car, of a mailhandling body pivoted on the car, a bodyoperating pivoted arm, a cam rail, and a spring normally holding said armont of the path of the cam rail;

7. The combination of a car, a swinging mail-handling body, an operating arm, and a cam rail supported between the plane of the bottom of a car and the plane of the top of the track rails, said arm and cam rail being relatively so situated that the arm shall contact with the cam rail on its side most remote from the track rails.

8. The combination of a car, a swinging mailshandling body, an operating arm,and a cam rail at an angle to movement of the car and crossing the path of movement of the operating arm, said arm and cam rail being relatively so situated that the arm shall contact with the cam rail on its side most remote from the track rails.

9. The combination of a car, a swingingmail handling body, an operating arm, and a cam rail having an inclined part to swing said arm and body, and a part parallel with the track at its far end to hold the body out until a bag to be caught is brought behind said body.

10. The combination of a car, a mailhandling body comprising a vertical shaft extending below the car, said shaft having a right angle extension at its lower end, an operating arm pivotally'supported on the extension, and means for operating the arm.

11. In a device of the character described,

the vertical shaft, an operating arm, a second arm fixed to the shaft, and one or more springs between thesecond arm and a car on which the device is carried.

12. F or use on a car, a mail-handling body comprising a shaft extending below such car, and an operating arm movable up and down independently, and movable horizontally with said shaft, and means for moving the arm in both directions.

13. A car, a mail-handling means including operating devices, means for supporting mail beside the track, and a mirror on the car in position to show the mail support in time for an attendant to actuate the device if there is mail on the support.

let. A mail-handling body having a shaft, an operating arm pivotally connected to said shaft by a horizontal bearing, a cam rail, and means for limiting the descent of said arm.

15. A car, a mail-handling body pivotally mounted near the car door, means for supporting mail beside the car track, and automatic means for swinging said body out from the car and back to the same to collect said mail whether the car door is open or closed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lVILLIAM M. CORTHELL. WVitnesses:

WV. N. WoonsoN, EVELYN R. MILLS. 

